I left work last night, and planned out an epic cycle from town to the favoured supermarket to get barbeque things. Just past Red Baron Motorcycles on Great North Road I started to hear that loud rhythmic hissing that told me I'd just gotten a snakebite puncture on the rear tyre.

It took me a good half-hour to walk home, but it was so bright and sunny and gorgeous that I didn't regret it in the slightest. It's nice to live in a city where you get days so good that a breakdown becomes an unexpected plus.

Anyway, I got the nail out of the tyre, got to work fine this morning, and am planning an evening around Pollen Island by kayak to round off the week. Ace.

A dispatch from Collingwood, NW Nelson. Everything (houses, cafes) is still for sale here, as they are every summer. It is a wonderful spot but people still are captivated by its summer glories, buy up locally, then move on once they have experienced a winter or two of 8 weeks of rain.

We are staying again in the old Masters House on Beach Road (we are usually a few houses along) and it retains its quaint charms--a bit like sleeping over at the museum. The sea is like warm tea (not sure what warm coffee would be like)

Nitpick: that wasn't a snakebite; a snakebite puncture is when you hit something hard enough with tyre pressure low enough that the rim "grounds out" as the tyre herniates slightly to each side, so you get two small parallel cuts in the tube. These look like your tyre's been fanged, hence the name.

I hear you, though. Cycling around through to Oriental Bay and along the waterfront last night was glorious. One of my friends rode home from Upper Hutt to Hataitai, it was so good.

Thanks for the link Russell. I've gone and posted something full of bloody typos again..proofing ain't a personal strength as many album covers will attest.

Must.edit.

I was sad to see Magazzino gone. It always an early port of call on any trip to AK, if only to see what local folks are doing. And I was mightily impressed with Pilot, the first edition of which hit the shelves before Xmas. Andy Pickering, a happy refugee from (and co-founder of) Remix has provided one of those moments of brilliance I mentioned.

Strangely Normal are unique, and I love'em. I went in on XMAS eve and found a jacket I liked for an impending trip to an American winter. I went back on the 29th to buy it and Michael said it wasn't a perfect fit. He called the next day and I went in. Both he and Claire said it needed to be adjusted more. They then went to the workroom on NYE, made me a brand new jacket and delivered it on the evening of Jan 1. Point me in the direction of an uppity Italian chain that will do that.....

Just back from 10 days in Rotorua. And can I just say one of the things that I had dread about returning was to have to catch up with all the postings here. Ne'er mind. Anyway, I went with some of my family to a couple of houses on Lake Rotorua (check out Ngonotaha next time you're down there, it's a pretty little place). Weather was fantastic, the Lake was gorgeous to look at and swim in (but very shallow on the side we were staying.), and I took a lot of books to read. Heaven. Word to the wise, however. Do not return to Auckland via SH2. It's like driving down very wide country (metal ie) road at the moment. Bloody stupid.

Avondale is as good as a holiday sometimes. I feel bound to clarify that my own persistent unavailability has contributed to my jacketlessness, and that I was perhaps seeking a more ruthless approach from my supplier to ensure focus.

I've driven several 1000k over the last wee while,& although the festive season was really good in parts (paticularly at Oamaru & the awesome limestone country just south of Waimate) there were sadnesses and gaps, and it was good to get back to the beach. But there were still things missing...

One of those has just arrived: envy me! I have 2 kilo of Totara lowland cherries & I'm devouring them!

...and yesterday it was onwards to...Sydney ! Mucked around at my brother's place in the morning, had a quick nosey around town in the afternoon, then met up with some mates at a pub in Newtown, hammered the Cooper's Ale into the evening.

Today I trundled around the music shops, bought a couple of Sonic Youth and James Brown cds at a JB. But the real bonanza was at the Virgin store inside Myers on George St. There was a big table full of $5 cds. Most of it was crap, but I scored stuff by Ornette Coleman, The Wickerman soundtrack (the classic original, not the crap recent remake), Augustus Pablo's King Tubby's Meet's Rockers...and a bunch of other stuff that would've cost me a bundle a Redeye, etc.

Tomorrow I'm off to the All Tomorrow's Parties music festival on Cockatoo Island: Nick Cave, Spiritualized, Harmonia, Silver Apples, The Saints (orig. line-up), and loads of other cult faves.